


MerGold

by Azzella



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mermaids, Rumbelle - Freeform, Sirens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 01:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azzella/pseuds/Azzella
Summary: Belle is a mermaid who saves a human from a storm. She has to know him so she gives up her tail so she can meet him. Just one more time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have taken a hiatus from writing and this is my return. I hope you enjoy this. Please comment to help me out. Thank you Dearies!

Mermaids are not what most believe them to be, nowadays. In todays society and media, mermaids are classed as lovely, fair creatures that play with the dolphins and swim along the shallows making friends with passing humans. None of it is true. Mermaid lore of old is correct; they are scaled and vicious and make fun by luring sailors onto rocky terrain and watching them all drown, some even dragging them from the boats and dragging them down to the murky depths. They are as cruel as they are ugly, and no human has laid eyes upon one and survived. All, that is, apart from one.

Rumford Gold was not a sailor. He was as fearful of the ocean as he was fascinated by it. Up until a few months ago, he had not even dipped his toes in the crystalline water, his anxiety threatening him with tales of drowning and being dragged into open water by the tide. He never voiced these fears though, as he was a strong and powerful man in their quaint little town by the shore. He was as wealthy as one could be in such a little place, all of his clothes imported from distant shores and every stitch and seam crafted by hand.

His son, Bae, was a trying lad. Always swimming in the ocean and calling his father every so often so he would see exactly how far out he had gone. Gold always told him to stay close, but like most children in their early teens, he was rebellious and pushed his boundaries, seeing how far out he could get before his father could beckon him back to the sandy beach to dry off and have a drink.

He did, I should say, until the storm.

The storm was a few months back. Nobody had noticed the thick black clouds until the covered the midday sky, blocking out the sun, and bringing with it a wind so fierce that it knocked dear old Mrs Lucas, the local owner of the towns’ diner, clear off her feet and into a nearby hedge. And with the wind came the rain, pouring down so suddenly and heavily that it was as if the sky had torn apart. This all happened, mind you, in the brief time of around forty seconds. And that was not enough time for Bae to reach the shore again. The waves rolled so high and sharp that Gold lost sight of his son, having been dragged beneath the surface.

That was all it took. Less than a minute and Gold lost his son. Not thinking twice about ruining his custom made Italian suit, he waded into the water, cane, shoes and all, screaming his sons name, but as if the Gods were trying to obliterate all of his chances, lightning broke out, drowning out his voice. Before he knew it, he was swimming, forcing his arms and legs in a way he had not done since he was a kid in Glasgow in the local leisure centre. Pull, push, and kick. Pull, push, and kick. He was so far out that land seemed like a thousand miles away, not even sure he could spot it beyond the high waves and he was beginning to tire, not having done so much in so long that his legs were feeling like jelly and his arms so heavy he was struggling to hold himself above the surface-

Then blackness. According to the local station, he had, too, been pulled beneath the waves. David Nolan, a local boy who worked at the veterinarians, had gotten out his boat but couldn’t find either of them, until he rowed back to shore to find Gold on the sand, soaked to the bone, shivering and spluttering water whilst unconscious. David’s actions named him a local hero for saving the life of the old dragon who owned the town. But that is not what Gold remembered.

He remembered eyes so blue they could easily cut through diamonds, hands that were slightly webbed and a smile that he should have been scared of, wrapping from ear to ear with rows of sharp spiked teeth. He remembered the person dragging him above and pulling him to the sand is his hardly conscious state. And a kiss. The creature pouring air back into his lungs with her slimed lips glued against his. And then… nothing. He woke up in hospital the next day.

But, like you were told before, that was several months back. Now, Gold spent most evenings overlooking the water, forcing the tears to stay hidden and holding onto his newly acquired walking stick so tightly he was surprised he hadn’t broken the handle. He worked all day, throwing himself so deeply into anything he could to distract him from the pain he felt. His leg gave him more pain now than he had felt since the accident which had caused the damage and the ache he felt in his heart… It would be a lie to say Mr Gold had not sunk into a deep depression that nobody believed he would recover from.

He was a stronger man than most though. As he looked over the waves from his beachfront balcony, cane in one hand and mythology book in the other he questioned himself for the thousandth time on the things he believed himself to have seen. In his spare time since the incident, he had researched as much as he could about legends and lore of mythical sea creatures, knowing full well that what he had seen was not natural or known about before. The memory haunted his every night, replaying that day every night in his slumber. Losing his son, the height of the waves, and that strange…thing.

He would find out. He hated the monster. Gold believed he should have died with his son, seeing it as the only fitting way. But now he saw differently. He had been given the gift and torture that was life, forced to live out his days alone and miserable. This should have been the only conclusion after living a life like he, tormenting those around him, using his status and wealth to bring weak men to their knees.

But Gold was a strong man and that night he realised; this was just, this was right. His life, his choices, were being judged by a higher power and this was his punishment. 

He threw the book behind him in the direction of the chair he left outside and sighed, turning his eyes from the sea to the caves which lined the opposite side of the beach, running along and out into the ocean. There was not much could be said about the caves. They were carved from the waves and stood up to thirty feet high, hollow from the crashing water and able to hide an abundant of strange things if anyone was up to finding anything. But local stories told of horrible curses that would be bestowed on any that enter. Even the local children kept clear of the rocky caverns, fearing death or worse, the response from their parents. That was where he would look next. If anywhere could give him clues to further his search for the monster that rescued him it would be there.

 

\----------

 

Lizabelle was tired. That was all she felt, focussing on the hollowness inside her and blowing out an air bubble, the closest thing to a sigh that could be made beneath the waves. She slowed in her swimming, reaching out to the nearest rock and using it as leverage to curl up on top of it, stretching out and looking up, staring at the blackness above her. She was lurking along the ocean floor, trying to keep as far away from the surface as she could, knowing the temptations that waited there. 

Her father had warned her repeatedly about going to the surface again, forbidding her to be within a tails length of the air. He was a strict man, usually fair and always loving, but after what had happened, he had become cruel in a way that only parents looking out for their childs best interests could. She knew that had it not been her at the centre of this that she would understand, she would probably be on his side, too. But here she was, curled up on a rock, holding her breath and imagining brown eyes with golden specks in them and unruly hair that was so different from all of the hair she had seen on any of the other merfolk. 

She never thought she would fall in love; especially with a land dweller. But, like you have already been told, here she was. Alone, cold and missing the feel of his dry skin beneath her fingertips… She had to forget about him. She knew she had to if she ever wished to get over… Gods, she did not even know his name. But in her mind she imagined him to have a name as beautiful as he was, as colourful as the coral reefs she played in as a young one and as heart breaking as he made her feel. There would never be a future for them, but she could dream.

Pa had always called her his little daydreamer, always with her head above the surface. She loved deeply and gave her time and caring nature to any who needed it, even to those who didn’t. She cared to the point of disaster, trying to sympathise with the wrong doers and trying to help those in need, the homeless and the hungry all knowing she would help them. She was a good merfolk; everyone told her so, her heart so full of love. But she had never found someone she wanted to give her heart to until now. And that was the problem.

She let out her breath and watched the bubbles slowly rise, disappearing out of sight as they rose to the top of the ocean. She wished she could follow them, but hated to disobey her father. She knew she should be home soon before he began to worry, so she pushed herself up and began the short swim home. 

The water was cooler today, her scaled tail and midriff turning harder to adapt to the icy ripples in the water. It was getting closer to winter and she knew they would have to prepare, to protect the little ones and the harsh rushes of water that always came with the colder weather. But one thing kept her smiling. Gastonisus would be home.

As expected, he was outside of her home, swaying gently in the water and looking as magnificent as always. He was one of the Dual walkers, merfolk who went to the surface to gather information, relaying what they learnt to the king and bringing with them stories of the land dwellers and all things new from the surface.

He was one of her two close friends, and even she had to admit he was handsome. His tail was gently scaled, adapted to the colder weather, and glowed red in the dim light that surrounded her home. His face was perfectly cut, his hair slightly curled but dancing with the roll of the water, and his eyes a crystal green she would never believe so pure had she not known him her entire life. His smile was always ready, curled besides his ears and welcoming like he had fallen in love with the view around him and attached to his waist was a small satchel, holding something she knew to be from Above.

He was, also, her betrothed. Her father had arranged the marriage and she had had to accept, not wanting to make a fool of her family in front of their kingdom, one of twelve beneath the sea. Gaz, though, as beautiful and wonderful as he was, knew he would never have her heart, so he held off the wedding, claiming wanting to know his bride-to-be better before he claimed her as his own, even though they had been practically glued at the fin since they could both swim in open waters. He was her best friend and she loved him, but in the way one would love a brother.

He spotted her and rushed to her side, placing an arm around her back and spinning her in a circle, making her dark hair drag behind her. It was a ritual of theirs, the dance welcoming him home before he stopped and placed a small kiss to her hair, taking her hand and spinning her in another circle before him so he could get a good look at her. “Beautiful Belle,” he purred, smile stretching and revealing each of his small spiked teeth. “I have missed you.”

“I have missed you, too, Gaz. How are you feeling? Are you adapted yet?”

He let go of her hand and placed his arm around her and held onto her waist, slowly leading her back inside. The doors opened before them, the guards seeing their approach, and they slowly made their way to the throne room. “I have, my dear one. The water seems colder than most winters though, but I still know it to be further away. I did bring you something, though-”

She pulled him to a halt, holding her webbed hand in between them, waiting for the gift, like a child waiting to be given back its favourite blanket. He usually brought her something from Above and she relished each trinket with the utmost care. He pulled out a small piece of what she thought was crystal but as he held it out to her, she saw her own face reflecting back at her. Her large blue eyes, wild russet hair, small upturned nose and large lips that stretched all across her face, so different from the man-

No. She would not think of him any further. Her life was down here on the ocean floor and away from the land dwellers. She was not one of the chosen to be allowed onto the shores. She continued to look. Large pointed teeth that were common amongst her kind and slits along her neck and jawline, perfectly parallel gills that allowed her to breath. To her kind she was beautiful. To her, she had nothing compared to the land walkers.

The crystal was set in a hard substance, almost like rock but a different texture, like what she had seen in the Rowan Kingdom, and morphed onto it was a delicate handle to grip it with. “What is it?” she asked, stroking along the strange gadget.

“It is a mirror, my beauty. It is made from glass to show you yourself and is set in opal and marble. It is worth a small fortune Above. But I knew it would be perfect for you.”

Gaz was a wonderful merfolk. But like all people, he had his flaws; his main one being his vanity. He knew how beautiful he was and knew everyone else knew so, too. He was constantly preening over his hair or using rugged rocks to file down the talons which tipped each of his webbed fingertips.

“Thank you-”


	2. The Dual Walkers

The door to the throne room opened to the left of them, a small fanfare ringing out to announce their entrance and they broke apart, him keeping a hand on the small of her spine as they made their way to the front of the throne, Gastonisus curling his tail beneath him and landing to the ground, forearms to the floor and head lowered beside her. She didn’t move, just letting a small smirk mar her features. Gaz had been told he no longer needed to bow before the king after he had accepted her hand, but as he liked to remind anyone, she was not officially his until he had placed his mark on her.

“That’ll do, Gaston… Ga…” The king stuttered and slurred, his memory failing him again on the young merman’s name. Mauricious was a good king, as loving to the kingdom as he was to his daughters and a man to be worshipped not feared. He made sure his subjects were all fed and had a roof above their head to protect them from predators. He was a good king, but his age was failing him and he would soon have to abdicate and leave the thrown to the first of his daughters to marry. 

Lizabelle was his oldest, followed by Rubella, whom was three months below marriageable age and finally there was little Snowy, named after their mothers’ favourite thing from Above on her travels. Queen Frenchella had been a Dual walker, who had loved nothing more than snow falling down and sand between her toes. The King always blamed his wife’s stories for why all of their children had such a fascination for the world Above. But despite their fantasies about the world above and their desire to feel and see the things their mother had, he denied all of them access to the surface. This was the reason why Lizabelle was in so much trouble with her father, having betrayed his trust.

“My King,” Gaz smiled, raising his head and slowly pushing himself upright. He placed his hand back on the small of Lizabelle’s spine and pulled her gently closer to him, a sign to all of the court that he was going to claim her. He sent a smile around the hall, near full with the friends and family of the crown, and bowed at the waist again for show to Mauricious. “I bring news from Above.”

Lizabelle swam from her betrothed side to her father, resting against the dais to fully enjoy his story and as always, her sisters joined her too, forming a line in front of their fathers’ tail. Snowy was a lovely child, black of hair with hazel eyes and pale as could be, lips very thin and smile still lacking a few teeth. She was only a year from being of age but everyone still looked at her like she was a youngling, a fact she relished in when it suited her; nobody could tell her no when she turned her big, wide eyes upon you and gave her best impression of a five year old on the brink of a temper tantrum. Rubella, the middle child, had fair skin and dark red lips caused by continuously gnawing on them. After the last week or so of looking after a youngling she had adopted as her own, she had begun to have dark circles beneath her green eyes. She loved the child though, so nobody questioned it. Each of the daughters had tails marked as royalty, yellow scales with a bluish blush in the light, long and flared with sapphire fins.

“Storybrooke,” Gastonisus started, his voice booming out to the corners of the great hall, “has been rife with gossip and rumours in the last few months. The towns Dragon, Gold, was nearly drowned in our waters, as most of you may already know.” Whispers rang out, eyes turning to Lizabelle, glaring, curious and knowing of her deed. But none of that bothered her. She now had a name - Gold. His name was Gold. Somehow she imagined more from him, but the name was still beautiful to her. It suited him. Though she could hardly see how they could refer to the sweet looking man she had rescued as a fire breathing monster. “He has taken to raising their rent – the money they pay for living in their homes, a barbaric ritual that I assure you I will never understand – and being crueller to the humans than he ever has been before. But they all know it to be understandable, after his great loss.” The murmuring got louder for a moment before dropping to dead silence. They all knew the fate of the boy lost to the water, and they could all sympathise with the man. “They are beginning trade with Arendelle, a town from across the ocean, and are about to bulldoze – knock down – the towns’ library, as since the Librarians death two years ago they have not found another soul to reopen it…” 

Lizabelle became immersed in his stories, listening to him talk about the way the stars shone and the sun bore down on the sandy beaches. She listened to the rumours and about the shops he had visited and the people he had met. She loved it all. One day, she vowed to herself, she would see it all. She would feel the sand between her fingertips and the wind against her face. She would relish in all the things the humans took for granted and cherish every second before she would inevitably return to the ocean.

Gastonisus spent a long time going through his week above the sea, describing every tiny detail and dragging out his story knowing well that everyone was hanging onto his every word. Everyone, that is, except Ursula.

Ursula was the Sea Witch. She came from a long line of deformed merfolk with the power to change the tides and control the waves. She healed the sick, when it benefitted her, and she was the one who chose the Dual Walkers from the merfolk. There were rumours amongst the people that you had to sell her your soul in exchange for human legs, and if your soul was even the slightest bit tarnished she would curse you. And that began the story of Pinocchio.

Pinocchio used to be a regular merman before his bargain with Ursula. He had been handsome, wise and loved by all, so it seemed right for Ursula to choose him to be that generation’s Dual Walker. He had swum to the surface and felt the magic overtake him, and as he stepped first foot forward onto the sand, his legs turned to wood. The water instantly seeped into his legs and they snapped beneath him, forcing him to a life above the water forever, legless and with no way to return home. Some rumours said he had killed a child, and that that had been the reason for Ursula’s betrayal. Some said he had simply called her ugly. And to be truthful, a lot of people saw the logic in that. Her skin had taken a horrible turn the moment her magic had been bestowed upon her, turning her body a sickly bluish purple and making her hair fall out and when grown back through it had become a shade of shocking white. Her tail, her father had told her, was once a beautiful green like most of the common merfolk, until the day she became magical and it split in two, and then to four, and now she had eight long black tails without the fins, looking like the tentacles of the octopi that swam their waters. She was not beautiful, but she was feared and respected.

Lizabelle did not know what to think of those rumours, but when she saw the witch like this, face crumpled in scorn, she could believe it. Nobody swam near her, keeping at arm’s length away from her, her tentacles spanning out around her as if telling them not to invade her personal space. She was always like this when Gastonisus returned home, and kept a wide berth of him whenever he was close. She was always like this with the land walkers, according to her mother, but she still paid her respect by coming to hear their tales.

As Gaz’s speech came to a close, Ursula turned and swam slowly from the hall, always the first to leave and not willing to shake the merman’s hand as was curtesy in their kingdom. A line formed upon her exit, all pushing forward to shake his hand, ask a few questions and to see if he could bring them anything from above – the latter requests he kindly declined, knowing he could take and bring little between land and sea.

Lizabelle stayed until the end with her family, kindly nodding to each individual as they left her home. It took a while but she remained still, her tail swishing beneath her the only other movement she made to keep herself stationary. Gaz came to her side as the last of the merfolk left, placing a small kiss against her crown. He always was more affectionate around her family, a charade of love to keep them happy and none the wiser. He knew there was nothing more, but it would ruin her family to find out the truth.

“You two…” Mauricious smiled, shifting in his throne, eyes glazed and hardly seeing. He was old now, nearing three hundred years old but he refused to let his age show around his daughters, never willingly letting them see how frail and damaged he was. “You will make wonderful rulers. Your mother would be proud, Lizzy.”

Lizabelle hardly heard about her mother in recent years. All she had was her memories of time long past. It had been ten years since her mother had past but she thought of her every single day. It was rare that her father would mention her, bringing her up caused him too much pain and as he spoke the words she saw the bloodied tears well up in his overly large eyes.

Moe was crippled, his golden tail lucking more lacklustre by the day. His large blue eyes rimmed with red and his grey hair curling around his shoulders. Everyone knew he would not have much longer left in this ocean, especially since Ursula had started paying him weekly visits to try and help his ailing state. This was why Lizabelle and Gastonisus continued their act, knowing she would have to take over the ocean on his passing, and she knew she would never manage it without him at her side.

“I must retire now, children. Call the maids.”

Without any of them moving or making a sound, the two handmaidens rushed over from their place in the corner to take an arm each and swim him out of the room, supporting his weight. As soon as he had left, Gaz moved from her side and to a reasonable distance. Snowy and Rubella hooked their arms together and smiled at each other

“How is the child?” Snowy asked, her voice low and circling them round so they could converse together in peace. “I heard the cries last night.”

“The kid will not say a word to me. Barely got the poor babe to sleep as would not stop crying. Only words I can understand is Pa and Poppy.” Ruby sighed, brushed a shaky hand through her long brunette hair, trying to get it to settle.

Snowy gave her arm a squeeze and laid her head upon her sisters’ shoulder. “Perhaps once the little one is settled you will get a decent conversation from them.”

Lizabelle gave them a small wave as they bid goodbye to return to their bed chambers. Her sisters were sweet but she did not think it wise that Ruby had taken in the orphan child. She had not seen much of the young one. The only glimpse she had seen of them was their purple tail and an unruly mess of dark hair. But she had heard the screams. They had kept her up all of the previous night. She had not heard anything so heartbroken since the death of Colette, her mother. She too had made those screams when she had been told. And with her own bed chamber being besides Rubella’s, she did not wish to go back there anytime soon.

As if sensing her distress, Gastonisus took her hand and with a wicked grin pulled her back towards the main door and outside, pulling her through the waves. She loved the feel of water rushing through her hair, imagined it was the breeze from Above and kept her smile glued to her face. 

He pulled her forwards, faster and faster, and as quickly as they had set off she knew where they were heading – her treasure trove. It was a cavern she had filled from floor to ceiling with trinkets from Above, some she had scavenged and some Gaz had brought her on his travels. He always visited the same place, but on each journey he found her something wonderful to add to her collection. 

As quickly as they started they stopped, tails still moving but they were glued to the spot, stuck in the water. And that was not the worst of it. Something was coming towards them, a thick dark shadow approaching. 

No. No - no - no - no!

The Sea Witch!


	3. The Sea Witch

Ursula did not look pleased. Her grey lips were pulled down in a scowl that would scare the bravest of mermen. Her tentacles crawled beneath her, making her look more menacing by the second. When she was a few feet before them, she stopped, arms crossing over her chest.

“I have heard about you, Princess,” she grumbled. This was the first time Belle had ever heard her speak and somehow she expected something different. She expected her voice to be dark and daunting, instead, it was soft and musical and for a brief moment she understood why people made deals with her. “You saved the Land Walker.” One of her tentacles curled up to brush a strand of white hair from her brow. “Why?”

Gaz’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, his eyes were frantic as he tried to warn her, bid her to run, but the Sea Witch had stolen his voice. His arms were shaking and where he gripped her hand was as tight as a vice. He was petrified. But there was nothing he could do.

Lizabelle felt herself drop as the curse which had stopped them lifted from her. Her hand slipped easily from Gastonisus’s hand and she wrapped her hands around his arm, as though even in his frozen state he could save her. “The human?”

“Yes, child. The human male. Why? What reason did you have to save him? Why did you not drag him down like the others?”

Belle raised her chin. Feastings were not something she agreed with. To be perfectly honest, she abhorred the damn thing, but while her father was on the thrown, she could do nothing about it but voice her opinions. “It is a well-known fact that I do not believe we should be reliant on the souls of the damned. When my coronation comes along, I intend to wipe it from our practices.”

“Such fire… what a spark…” Ursula was one of the few living merfolk who had been to the Above and in doing so had picked up a lot of words of phrases from the Land Walkers, knowing full well that most of those under the sea would understand her meaning, but know her vast knowledge outranked them. Lizabelle was not used to such words but had heard them in passing from Gaz and had had him explain each of their meanings over and over again until she understood. “Such bite from a tiny Princess.” She moved around the pair, keeping close and they had nothing they could do but allow her to assess them. “You are just what I am looking for.”

The spell broke and Gaz gulped loudly, arms coming around his betrothed and putting himself in-between the two maids. “You will not harm the lady, Witch.”

One of her eyebrows curled upwards, mouth snarling as she spat out “I do what I wish to, Dual Walker. I gave you your ability and I can take it back just as quickly. But I have no need for you. Only the girl.” She reached out and traced a blackened claw down Belles cheek, feeling it prickle with a turquoise blood drop that dissipated as quickly as it was drawn. “She is going to be my proxy.”

Gaz shook beside her, the magic flowing through the two of them leaving a bitter metallic taste in her mouth, and Belle… felt numb, which had been no change in her recent state. “I beg you, My Lady,” Gastonisus pleaded, pulling his arms tighter around Lizabelle. “Let me go in her place. Whatever you need, I will be your servant, just leave my fiancée be. She needs no part in your schemes.”

“But you have the chance to turn me down. She has no reason to say no.” Her tentacles swirled beneath her and formed a sort of seat so she could perch upon. “I need a pearl that shines like the sun. Its power is only visible to those whom seek it more than anything else, so only you will know its true power. But finding it is not the hardest part.”

Belle gave a small smile, knowing she had every right to say no. There was nothing the witch could offer her that she could accept. She had jewels, she had her family, there was nothing she- “What do I get if I collect this for you?”

“What you long for most in the ocean dear, or should I say out of… I will give you your own set of feet.” A flicker of uncertainty passed over the maids face so the witch leant closer in. “I am offering human legs. A chance to walk in the sun, along the beach. And who knows, maybe you will meet-”

“Gold…”

“Yes, Princess. I am offering you a few days with the human. Only a few days mind you. Magic cannot last forever. Not even my magic. And since you are not a Land Walker, I can only give you three days. That’s how long merfolk can spend above the sea without coming to an unseemly demise. So – I get my pearl, you get to see your man again. One last time.” She stretched one of her tentacles out curling it by Belles hand in offering. “Do we have a deal?”

Gastonisus tried to pull her hand back but she found her own sort of inner strength, knowing she would see him again, any chance to see his eyes upon her again was just... she pushed forwards and shook the tentacle in agreement. “The deal is struck.”

It was as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. Her stomach rolled and her head throbbed. She could feel her gills along her throat close up and her hands, once webbed, formed long jointed fingers. Her vision started to go blurry, her eardrums popped in pressure and then the water was pushing around her, pulsing and swirling-

 

Air!

She had been pushed above the surface and she found herself gulping down long gasps of the dry air, her hair flattened to her head and she could feel the sun already drying up the saltwater on her shoulders. Gaz was beside her, holding her up and she could see him spluttering as he tried to drag her through the water while keeping her above it. He was saving her. 

She shifted in and out of consciousness while he pulled her along. She didn’t even notice him lifting her onto the shore and into the bleakness of the cavern until she came to and found herself naked on the rocks. 

He was beside her in human form too, now, using a rag to dry himself off and then doing the same to her, getting all trace of the sea water from her body. “That was a dumb thing to do, my beauty. Do you have any idea what you have just done? Making a deal with the Sea Witch, of all people! What will your father say when he finds out-?”

“He doesn’t have to know!” Her voice sounded so different now, not as deep and now it seemed a little raspy. “Just tell him I am exploring. And he might not even notice…”

“He may be losing his mind, Belle, but he will notice if his successor has disappeared while he is in such a state.” He stood and moved to the back of the cave, bringing back with him a strange bag full of fabrics she had never seen before. “This is a dress,” he explained, pulling out a white garment and pulled it over her head and forcing her arms into the right holes. “Humans wear clothes out of modesty and to stop them from getting arrested.” When she tilted her head to the side, he sighed. “The authorities here, the police, will take you and throw you into a cell and stop anybody from seeing you. It is a punishment here.”

“I cannot have that. I need to find Gold-”

“No! What you need to find is that damned pearl and get back in the ocean. Did you even hear what she had to say?”

“Not the ending. There was just so much… magic.” 

“You have three days. You cannot touch the water, the second you do, your tail will come back. And if you don’t return to her by the sunset on the third day… It is not even worth thinking about, Lizabelle.”

She knew she was in trouble. There were so few times he called her by her full name, and he only did so to convey his anger with her. But this was not anger – this was outrage. She had never seen him in such a way and it scared her.

His face had changed since he adapted, his gills were gone and his hair had a curl to it that could never be maintained in the ocean. His jaw was still strong and defined, but his lips were thin and only covered a small portion of his face. And his eyes, once lovely and large were small like most humans. As she noticed every change about him she ran her newly formed hand over her body, feeling each change and definition with a sense of awe. She was human. She was out of the sea!

“I have to find him.”

He sat beside her and she found herself staring at his legs, and namely what lay between them. Is that were humans were like? She traced her own hand between her legs and found nothing of the sort. Maybe it was just a human male thing. It was strange to see; with merfolk, your genitalia remained inside you until it was needed for copulating. He caught his gaze on her and moved to pull some material over his legs to hide himself from her curious gaze.

“It is rude to stare, Belle. And I think you have more to worry about than a damned human. You need to find the pearl!” He brushed a hand through his hair, his arms much darker than her own, from more time spent in the sun. “I cannot stay. I should not be on ground now, but I couldn’t leave you to adapt on your own. I must leave.” He stood back in and put his hand into one of the compartments on the front of the clothes he held. He pulled out a small contraption, pulling paper out of it and handing it to her. “This is currency here. It should keep you going for the next few days. If you need me at any point, simply come here and whisper my name to the water. I am connected to this cavern; it will alert me to anything going on. I will find you.” He returned his clothes to the bag and threw it to a dark corner, ducking down to press a brief kiss to her hair and whisper into her skin, “I love you. Please be safe. I will be close by.”

And with those final words he dove beneath the water, popping to the surface to give her a small wave before diving back down and out of her sight.

It was only once he had left that she realised she had so many questions. How did she get to land? How did she walk? How did you use the paper currency? And more importantly, where would she find the pearl? It was hopeless.

She sat there, facing the ocean for a while and contemplating her decision. She did not think it to be the wrong one just yet, but already she had her doubts. She had heard all the stories but she had no idea how to pass as a human. When she gathered her courage, she pulled herself up using the cavern wall and attempted to take a few steps, resulting in her falling down and having the blue-green blood seep out and onto her dress. She cleaned it quickly using the hem of her dress and stayed stood up, leaning against the cavern. 

The sun was rising now. Day one on the surface. She watched the way it made the sea glisten and glow and she admired the colours the sky turned, a small smile on her face. This was beauty and she could imagine nothing more perfect that she had seen in her entire forty years of life. (She remembered Gaz telling her that humans had a life span of half of a merfolk, so she supposed she was around twenty human years of age.) 

Belle was thinking about heading out when the sound of falling rocks distracted her and she turned to the side where the cavern led out to the shore and found herself staring into deep brown eyes and a face that was crinkled in confusion.

“What are you doing here?” Gold asked.


End file.
